Free Expression: Canada

CJFE proudly announces the award winners for the 18th annual CJFE Gala on December 2nd, and a new award! Saudi documentary filmmaker Safa Al Ahmad will be awarded the International Press Freedom Award. US-based civil liberties lawyer and national security policy critic Jameel Jaffer will be awarded the Vox Libera Award. Public interest researcher and access to information advocate Ken Rubin will be awarded the inaugural Investigative Award.

On September 9, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) announced Erin Millar, co-founder of Discourse Media, as the inaugural recipient of the new Bob Carty Free Expression Fellowship.

In September CJFE awarded its inaugural Bob Carty Free Expression Fellowship to Erin Millar, co-founder of Discourse Media. In their first blog post on CJFE.org, the Discourse Media team gives us a great update on the progress they're making on a much needed project to connect journalists and underrepresented communities in Canada.

This letter was sent to Prime Minister Harper on behalf of The Brunswickan, the student newspaper of the University of New Brunswick.

Canadian University Press (CUP) and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) are disappointed in the actions taken by one of your party’s representatives during a Conservative Party rally in Fredericton on October 16, 2015. This representative turned away two reporters from The Brunswickan who attempted to attend the rally and report as media.

Four major political parties are graded for their stances on free expression issues

TORONTO (October 14, 2015)—Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) has released a federal election platform report card, grading the four major political parties for their stances on critical free expression issues in Canada.

CJFE graded the four major political parties for their stances on critical free expression issues in Canada in the 2015 federal election. See how each party ranks for your right to know, Bill C-51, muzzling of scientists, and more—then vote on October 19th!

Sending Access to Information requests to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service is roughly like howling at the moon. Generally speaking, the only documents you’ll ever get back from the national spy agency are open-source terror assessment and security reports—generally from the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre—and not much else. The new favourite exemption employed by the secretive agency is a catch-all for pesky requests:

Justin Ling from VICE Canada tells us how the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) responds to Access to Information requests—without releasing any information. This is the latest installment in CJFE's #ATIreform series, where journalists, public interest researchers and other professionals share their stories about Canada's Access to Information system.

What a month! First, tickets for our 18th annual CJFE Gala: A Night to Honour Courageous Reporting are now on sale. Join us on Wednesday, December 2 as we honour brave individuals from Canada and abroad who have risked their jobs, their freedom or even their lives to bring us the truth.

Having a well-informed public is a critical component to a functioning democracy, but the public is increasingly losing access to important information. Government scientists are denied permission to speak to the media and public about their research. Silencing scientists is threatening evidence-based decision making in Canada.

CJFE moderated a meeting between the Montreal police and independent journalists to discuss police brutality while journalists cover protests. Both groups have pledged to communicate and work together to ensure everyone can do their job safely.